Travel Question: Is visa-free EU travel a dead cert in the event of no deal?

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The UK must allow the same conditions for inbound visitors post-Brexit (AFP/Getty)

Q You wrote that the European parliament has confirmed British visitors to the EU would not need a visa in the event of a no-deal Brexit. This appears good news at face value. But do you think the reciprocation caveat “provided EU nationals enjoy the same conditions when travelling to the UK” might become a stumbling block?

Stefano H

A In the event that the UK leaves the European Union without a deal on 12 April, as the default currently stands, the decision taken on Thursday by MEPs means that relatively little would change for most British holidaymakers and business travellers going to the EU for a short stay.

The concession is contingent on reciprocity by Britain, but every indication is that the UK Border Force will continue to allow EU nationals to visit without any additional red tape. That is partly because Brexit is expected to be quite damaging enough to inbound tourism to Britain without adding further hurdles to deter visitors. And it also recognises the reality that closer scrutiny of European Union nationals coming to the UK could not possibly happen in the short term because of a shortage of resources.

So initially I see no problem meeting that caveat. However, a significant number of travellers may fall foul of the existing EU rules on passport validity for “third-country nationals”, with two new hurdles to cross. First, the UK government says there must be at least six months remaining on a British passport on the day of arrival in the European Union. Second, adults with passports issued for over 10 years (which many were in the decade to September 2018) will not be allowed to travel after their passport has been valid for nine years, six months.

Assuming you can cross both these hurdles, and you are not intending to stay more than 90 days in any 180, then you can travel visa free to the EU until the Etias “pre-approval” scheme is introduced in 2021 – whereupon what I call a Euro-visa will be compulsory for British visitors to the European Union.

Every day our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder